On Saturday, March 8, 2014 from 6:30 to 9 PM, the Friends of the Rochester Hills Public Library will hold a fundraiser entitled Wine, Wit and Wisdom. The evening will offer attendees the choice of attending two of six interesting sessions on the day in the life of an executive chef, theater, wine, music, antiques and an inside perspective of the Detroit bankruptcy as well as a silent auction.
Registration information is available on the library website, www.rhpl.org/friends-of-rhpl/special-events . Tickets are $45 per person. Appetizers, beer, wine and soft drinks are included. You can pay by check or charge.
This is the first time the Friends have held such a program, which is patterned after the popular TED Talks (www.ted.com) which is characterized as “ideas worth sharing”.
Find out what's happening in Rochester-Rochester Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The expert guest speakers will talk on:
Find out what's happening in Rochester-Rochester Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Antiques: “Buying and Selling Antiques Today.”
Paul R. Haig, Owner, Haig’s of Rochester Fine Jewelry and Objects of Art. Technology has revolutionized the antiques world. Online sales and auction sites such as eBay can serve as valuation resources. Haig will review types of appraisals as well as the effect that television shows such as American Pickers and Antiques Roadshow have had on the contemporary art and antiques industry. Haig, an expert in antique collection and sales, and his wife Diane have won numerous architectural and design awards for their Downtown Rochester store.
The Arts Today: “Strumming from STEM to STEAM.”
James Lentini is Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Oakland University. Let’s hear it for the arts! Using the guitar, Lentini will illustrate the importance of the arts in education and society. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are integral to maintaining a competitive edge. Adding arts STEM + A = STEAM enhances innovation and design, key to new industries and to economic prosperity. Lentini is a composer, guitarist, and educator who won the Segovia International Composition Prize.
Culinary Arts: “A Day in the Life of a Restaurant Chef.”
Alex Lucier is the Executive Chef of Steelhouse Tavern located in Troy. He will share what it takes to effectively run a restaurant beginning with designing the menu, ordering and stocking ingredients, preparing the meat, managing line cooks and sous chefs and creating plating instructions. A chef handles chaos in the kitchen and demands in the dining room. Rochester resident Lucier is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York City and formerly worked at Le Cirque in New York City and at two Birmingham eateries.
Law: “An Insider’s View of Detroit’s Bankruptcy.”
Attorney Paul R. Hage, Partner in Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss’s Insolvency and Reorganization Practice Group located in Southfield will provide an insider’s perspective of the nation’s largest municipal bankruptcy. Detroit’s bankruptcy raises a number of unique issues such as whether to impair pensions to negotiate in good faith with creditors, and to force a sale of the City’s art collection. Hage was recognized in 2013 as a dBusiness Top Lawyer and as a Michigan Super Lawyer. Hage is also the son of library director Christine Hage.
Theater: “The Art of Knowing Your Audience.”
Travis Walter is the Artistic Director of Meadow Brook Theatre at Oakland University. Walter believes a key to success is to know one’s audience. He will share how he engages theatergoers before and after performances and applies their feedback to the selection of future plays. Walter is a professional actor, director, stage manager, and playwright recently honored as one of L. Brooks Patterson’s “Elite 40 Under 40” in Oakland County.
Wine: “The Journey of Wine.”
Sean Mankowski is the Resident Sommelier at Papa Joe’s Market in Birmingham. Wine is a journey, not a destination. As part of the human experience, it can be taken seriously, but as he contends it is merely a fermented grape. Attendees will discover the cultural and economic facets of wine as well as the importance of being an informed consumer. Mankowski is certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers of America.
Guests will receive their session schedules when they check in at the event. Questions, call the Friends’ Event line at (248) 650-7176.
